TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- Mayor Jefferson
Soriano of this city said he is going to appeal the 90-day preventive suspension
order imposed anew against him by the Sandiganbayan, this time in connection
with the alleged questionable procurement of defective rubber boats by the
Philippine National Police in 2009.
Soriano, who was a
former deputy director general, was chairman of the PNP bids and awards
committee that year.
In his motion
for reconsideration, Soriano cited a provision in the Local Government Code
that states that no elected official must serve suspension beyond 90 days in
every year of incumbency regardless of the number of cases filed against the
official.
Soriano is on his
second month serving an earlier 90-day suspension for another case filed
against him and several others before the anti-graft court.
The case stemmed from
the purchase of three helicopters allegedly owned by former first gentleman
Miguel Arroyo in the same year.
The helicopters were
reportedly passed as brand new units.
In January, Soriano
left his office to Vice Mayor Engelbert Caronan to serve the suspension.
Cagayan Gov. Alvaro
Antonio was directed to implement the Sandiganbayan directive against
Soriano and inform the anti-graft court
of the action he has taken.
Sandiganbayan Third
Division clerk of court Dennis Pulma said the preventive suspension order was
issued pursuant to Section 13 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices Act.
Pulma said Associate
Justice Alex Quiron penned the suspension order, with Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang
and Associate Justice Samuel Martires concurring with it.
Soriano, a former
police deputy director, is among the respondents in the graft case filed by the
Office of the Ombudsman last year against former Philippine National Police
chief Jesus Verzosa.
The charges stemmed
from their involvement in the allegedly anomalous and overpriced purchase of 75
defective police rubber boats in 2008 valued at P131.55 million.
No comments:
Post a Comment